KARACHI, Dec 9: A sessions court on Friday sentenced a man to life in prison in a murder case.

The man, Aftab Alam, was found guilty of killing Mohammad Atiq during a robbery within the remit of the Quaidabad police station in August 2008.

Additional District and Sessions Judge (Malir) Munawar Sultana pronounced the verdict after recording evidence and hearing arguments from both sides.

The court also handed down seven-year term to the accused under Section 397 (robbery or dacoity with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt) of the Pakistan Penal Code and imposed a fine of Rs10,000 on him. In case of non-payment, he would have to undergo an additional six months in prison. However, the sentences would run concurrently.The court observed that the prosecution successfully proved its case against the accused beyond a shadow of a doubt by placing ample evidence in court.

The prosecution said that the accused had killed the victim on Aug 20, 2006 when he put up resistance during a robbery bid.

The police managed to arrest the accused on the following day.  A case (FIR 463/06) was registered under Section 302 (premeditated murder) and 397 of the PPC on the complaint of the victim’s brother.

The court extended the benefit of Section 382-B (period of detention to be considered while awarding sentence of imprisonment) of the criminal procedure code to the convict and remanded him back to prison to serve the remainder of his sentence.

‘Hit man’ remanded

A judicial magistrate on Friday remanded an alleged target killer in police custody in two murder cases till Dec 13.

Ghulam Qadir alias Ghulam Patni has been booked and arrested in a number of cases pertaining to targeted killing.

The police produced the suspect before a judicial magistrate (south) in two murder cases and the court handed him over to police on four-day physical remand.

According to the prosecution, the suspects along with his absconding accomplices had allegedly killed Mohammad Nadeem and Syed Bashir in March and October 2010 within the remit of the Kharadar police station.

Two cases (FIR Nos.160/10 & 336/10) were registered under Sections 302 (premeditated murder), 324 (attempted murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The administrative judge of the anti-terrorism courts in Karachi had also remanded him in police custody in some cases.